Canada Post strike or lockout possible later this month

Canadians could see disruptions to mail service before the end of the month, as Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers appear far apart on a new contract.

Although neither a strike or a lockout will be legally possible until Sept. 26 – and neither side has said it will take such action – some utility companies have started warning their customers that paper bills may not be delivered on-time.

CUPW has been holding strike mandate votes across the country over the past few weeks. The last of those votes took place Sunday and CUPW says results will be released Monday or Tuesday.

The two sides have been talking about new contracts since last November. Negotiations continued through the summer with a conciliator but without success.

A 21-day “cooling-off process” is now in effect. When it ends on Sept. 26, CUPW will be legally able to strike if its members give it a mandate to do so. Canada Post will also be legally able to lock out the workers, although it has not made any public signals that it plans to do so.

CUPW represents delivery agents and other employees of Canada Post. Its members were lockedout last in 2011-12. The federal government legislated them back to work, although a judge later ruled that the legislation was unconstitutional.